1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flying toy able to fly by flapping its wings, while imitating the flight of a bird, with the toy preferably having the appearance of a bird. It also relates to a process for automatically locking the wing activation mechanism at the end of a flight.
2. Discussion of Background Material
A flying toy of this type is described in French Patent 1,604,345 and includes:--a hollow body having an elongated shape made in two parts which are assembled by nesting. In the front part of the body, an activation mechanism for the wings is provided. This wing activation mechanism is driven by means of an elastic band which provides motive power to the toy;--two flexible wings are affixed on the one hand, to the activation mechanism, and, on the other hand, to said body;--a winding system making it possible to twist the motive rubber band is installed on the rear part of said body which also supports a steerable tail wing unit which acts as a rudder; a locking device or stop member is provided, making it possible to neutralize the wing activation mechanism during its winding and prior to takeoff.
The wing activation mechanism is installed in the body, at the level of the nesting, and this mechanism comprises two oscillating levers or wing supports extending through two lateral slots provided on said body in front of said nesting. These oscillating levers or wing supports are connected or adapted to be connected to a wing girder to which is affixed the front edge of the flexible flying surface constituting the wings of the flying toy.
According to current embodiments of flying toys of the above-mentioned type, the flapping of wings ensuring the lift of the flying toy cease when the motive elastic band is completely relaxed. The rhythm of the wing flapping decreasing with the torque of the motive elastic band, it so happens that these flappings cease due to the complete relaxation of the latter, when the toy is at a short distance from the ground, or about to land, enabling the toy to land smoothly. However, it also frequently happens that the wing flapping ceases because of the complete relaxation of the motive elastic band while the toy is still at a significant distance from the ground. If at this moment the wings are not immobilized in a position enabling the toy to glide, the toy "nose-dives" and falls abruptly to the ground, which can more or less damage the toy. In addition, this type of toy has a limitation due to the requirement to manually position the stop member which locks the wing activation mechanism, before proceeding to rewind the wings. Often, users, who are very frequently young children, do not remember to execute this operation.
The invention particularly provides for overcoming these disadvantages.
According to the invention, this goal is achieved by virtue of a process and a device according to which the stop member is applied, under elastic pressure, against a notch provided in the periphery of the circular plate of the drive crank of the wing activation mechanism. Thus, when the motive elastic band develops its normal power level resulting from torque of the motive elastic band, the stop member cannot engage and hold itself in this notch, whereas, when this power level approaches its lowest value, nearing the complete untwisting of said elastic band, the stop member can engage and hold itself in said notch, by causing the wing activation mechanism to stop and the immobilization thereof; the locations of the active part of stop member and of the notch, in the kinematic chain of said mechanism, preferably are predetermined such that the engaging position of said stop member and said slot correspond to the position of the wings enabling the toy to glide.
According to another very significant characteristic arrangement of the process and device according to the invention, the torque resulting from the energy released by the unwinding of the motive elastic band and from the resistance opposed by the wing flapping mechanism causes the deformation of a flexible portion of the cylindrical wall of the plate of the drive crank and the narrowing of a variable width notch or slit provided in the cylindrical wall. This narrowing prevents the engagement, in this slit, of the tooth constituting the active part of the stop member that an elastic element tends to permanently push against the periphery of the plate, until the value of the torque decreases and approaches the complete relaxation of the elastic. This permits said plate to resume its rest form and increases the width of said slot in which the tooth of the stop member can then engage and hold itself while causing the wing to stop flapping.
By virtue of the process and the device according to the invention, the flying toy always terminates its flights in a glide, which makes it possible to land smoothly
Furthermore, at the end of the flight, the wing activation mechanism is always locked by the stop member and it is thus not necessary to manipulate this stop member before proceeding to rewind the drive system of said mechanism by the rotation of the crank positioned on the rear part of the body of the toy.